I suspect that Wilson has it right.
The problem with the as/which comparison is that it is only part of the
game. The argument is a trap.

The word "as" is supremely ambiguous, and it can substitute for almost any
subordinator, such as those listed below by Wilson. Hence, I have warned
students away from it for years. (If you want to be a clear writer, get off
of "as," I tell them--or go into politics.)

Since "as" shares a job with nearly all of the subordinators and since the
relative pronouns also function as a kind of subordinator, you could
probably play this comparison game with any subordinator and "as." Anyone
wanna try?

akra
====================
At 04:09 PM 8/28/99 -0400, you wrote:
>"As" can mean (among various possibilities) "like "while" and "because".
>Your examples mostly have to do with the "because" meaning.  The "not",
>noticed by another poster, makes the "because" inappropriate as a
>connector; thus "as" no longer works when you have the "not" present.
>-----
>Paul T. Wilson                                   [log in to unmask]
>Professor of Reading                   Western Michigan University
=====================

Albert E. Krahn
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